Welcome to the fin de siècle, only a few years too late. According to Wikipedia:
Without context, the term is typically used to refer to the end of the 19th century. This period was widely thought to be a period of social degeneracy, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning. The “spirit” of fin de siècle often refers to the cultural hallmarks that were recognized as prominent in the 1880s and 1890s, including ennui, cynicism, pessimism, and “a widespread belief that civilization leads to decadence”.
“Period of hope for a new beginning…” that part doesn’t apply.
Also, the previous end of a century got some great art, but we’re just going to get some flaccid, dead-eyed AI art.
the backlash against perceived decadence was more starch in collars and oscar wilde sent to prison, so we’ll have that kind of stuff too.
Note that the era was only sometimes a “period of hope for a new beginning…” It was mostly known for ‘ennui, cynicism, pessimism, and ‘a widespread belief that civilization leads to decadence”.’ Pretty much what we’ve got today.
Part of the backlash was the temperance/abstinence movement pumped up by religious fanatics which eventually let to 18th Amendment and the “Prohibition” era.
“A widespread belief that civilization leads to decadence” — This is not an idea to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.
There’s always hope isn’t there?
Even if faint hope and fools hope..
Where does giving up and giving into despair get us after us?
Strange and amazing and surprising things can and do happen.
Can we make them so for better not worse? Please.
@4 SteveoR wrote: There’s always hope isn’t there? Even if faint hope and fools hope..
I reply: SteveoR, don’t give up on your hope (will try to hold onto it, too) even though we are (yes, I’m going to say it again) entering the New Dark Ages
The end of the 19th century didn’t just produce beautiful art, it was the peak of the Arts & Crafts movement in the US which produced beautiful architecture, furnishings, home goods and fashion (Erté anyone?) The Belle Epoque indeed–it gave us Mucha, Aubrey Beardsley, Tiffany (stained glass as well as jewelry).
By contrast, we got a crappy cheap minimalist aesthetic from Chinese sweatshops/dark satanic mills at the end of the 20th century. Also grunge and heroin chic. (Some great music though.)
It’s worth noting that the Art Nouveau movement that predominated the end of the 19th century started with the pre-Raphaelites, morphed into Art Nouveau (Impressionism reached its peak) and ended with Art Deco and brutalism (and WWI and fascism). The end of the 19th century was also known for a lot of anarchist and terrorist attacks, usually bombing from people who were decidedly not living the beautiful life. (The end of the 19th century was also the Gilded Age in the US, complete with industrialists, robber barons and trusts.)
The end of the 20th century just used high capacity military style weapons and IEDs and high school students.